When it comes to success in an uncertain world, diversification is the name of the game, and when it comes to the top sought-after industries, the tech sector is king — responsible for more than one-third of U.S. economic growth.
While maybe better known for healthcare and manufacturing/distribution, the Northshore is now home to multiple tech companies, the success of which will hopefully lead to more growth in this hot sector.
Satellite Superstar
Globalstar employs nearly 400 people globally and operates in 15 countries, but it calls Louisiana home. The company has operated in Covington for more than 15 years and more than 60% of its recent hires have come from Louisiana.
“Globalstar delivers critical connectivity solutions powered by satellite and cellular technologies,” explained CEO Paul Jacobs. “As the world continues to digitize, connectivity is no longer a luxury — it’s the foundation for safety, efficiency and innovation across virtually every sector.”
The company’s satellite network technology has revolutionized satellite connectivity for everyday use.
“Previously, satellites were massive, costly to launch, and the connectivity was more aligned with broadband applications — internet from space, high data transmission, lots of power,” said Jacobs. “Essentially, you don’t need the same type of connectivity to watch a movie on your phone for a small tracking device on a shipping container.”
One of Globalstar’s most well-known solutions is the SPOT device, used by adventurers, remote workers and emergency responders to send SOS messages when they’re off the grid.
“To date, SPOT has helped initiate over 10,000 rescues globally, which is a powerful example of how meaningful this technology becomes when every second counts,” said Jacobs.
Last year Apple committed $1.7 billion to Globalstar, including a $1.1 billion cash investment and a $400 million allocation for a 20% equity stake in the company.
This past March, Globalstar launched a new Satellite Operations Control Center in Covington, significantly enhancing its global capabilities.
“The SOCC is more than just an operational upgrade; it’s a strategic investment in our future,” said Jacobs. “As we prepare for the deployment of our next-generation satellite constellations, this center will play a pivotal role in ensuring seamless integration and management. It’s a testament to our growth trajectory and our vision for innovation in the satellite industry. It’s a significant driver in our plans to increase our local workforce over the next two quarters and our continued investment in the state of Louisiana.”
Redefining Recruitment to Retirement
Co-founded by Will Boudreaux and Stuart Ethridge, Netchex is a cloud-based human capital management and payroll software provider headquartered in Covington. Under Boudreaux’s leadership, Netchex has become one of the fastest-growing payroll and HR technology providers in the U.S., delivering sales and support in over 20 states and services to over 500,000 employees through its platform.
“We provide solutions that follow the employee lifecycle from recruitment to retirement,” said Boudreaux. These solutions include payroll processing, benefits administration, time and attendance tracking, talent management, HR analytics, and AI-powered tools like Netchex AI.
“Netchex has experienced tremendous growth in the past six years, more than tripling revenues and clients,” said Boudreaux. “Today, we support over 7,300 customers that are based in all 50 states and U.S. territories.”
The company started out small with just a few employees.
“We founded the business in 2003, four years before the smart phone debuted. Financial transactions like payroll over the web were more of a novelty,” said Boudreaux.
Early days were as much about education and building trust as anything else.
“My partner, Stuart Ethridge, and drove up and down the entire Gulf Coast knocking on doors begging people to give us a chance,” said Boudreaux. “I guess we were pretty convincing, as we were able to bootstrap the business for our first 13 years and build Netchex into a player in the market before entertaining any outside capital.”
Today Netchex employees around 375 team members with 200 of those associates located in the metro area.
“In hospitality, people applying for customer-facing jobs are still judged by a resume — a piece of paper that doesn’t show how someone actually shows up to work.”
– Rich Simmerman, cofounder and CEO, Cantaloupe AI
In June 2023, Netchex was acquired by New York-based GrowthCurve Capital to accelerate its AI strategy, expand into new markets, and enhance data analytics. The company saw a leadership change in September 2024, when Boudreaux stepped down as CEO, transitioning to a role on the company’s board of directors, where he continues to focus on strategic initiatives. He was succeeded by David Giannetto, former CEO of WorkWave.
“AI has provided new pathways for us to scale and provide differentiation in the market and we look forward to seeing that play out in the years to come,” said Boudreaux.”
Help With Hospitality Hires
Founded just last year in Springfield, Louisiana (about 7 miles west of Ponchatoula), Cantaloupe AI provides a unique hiring platform designed specifically for the hospitality industry. Its proprietary AI-driven voice interview platform, Cleo, uses voice interviews to streamline hospitality recruitment, reduce turnover and minimize hiring bias.
Cleo is designed to help hospitality employers attract and retain staff in an industry that is grappling with labor shortages and high turnover. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 3 million leisure and hospitality workers across the country left their jobs between January and April 2024, a rate more than double other industries.
“In hospitality, people applying for customer-facing jobs are still judged by a resume — a piece of paper that doesn’t show how someone actually shows up to work,” explained Rich Simmerman, cofounder and CEO of Cantaloupe AI. “That’s why we built Cleo, our voice-based AI interviewer designed just for hospitality.”
Instead of uploading a resume, every applicant has a five-minute voice conversation with Cleo.
“She asks questions like a real hiring manager would, and she’s trained to spot the things that matter, like communication style, personality and how well someone fits with the team,” said Simmerman. “Right after the interview, Cleo gives hiring managers instant predictions on compatibility and how likely someone is to stick around. It’s a better process for both sides: Businesses make smarter hires, and applicants get a real chance to shine.”
The Cantaloupe AI platform offers interviewees 24/7 access to the system so they can complete their automated voice interview online anytime without needing to coordinate with a human interviewer. The system then instantly analyzes the results to provide immediate insights to recruiters about the applicants’ personality traits, job fit and turnover risk.
According to the company, their services have helped reduce early quits by up to 40% and saved businesses $8,000 to $12,000 per mismatch hire that was avoided.
Cantaloupe AI has rapidly expanded its services and customer base. The system is now utilized by hospitality businesses across the U.S., from New Orleans to Nashville, including upscale hotels and multi-location restaurant groups.
“We’re a small but mighty team of five,” said Simmerman. “Four of us are Louisiana natives, and our fifth team member has happily adopted Louisiana as home. We plan to grow later this year, likely adding roles in both sales and tech as we continue to scale.”
This year, Cantaloupe AI won one of the largest startup competition awards in the Gulf South, the NSpire Startup Slam hosted by STartUP Northshore and earned the company a prize package worth over $115,000. It was also accepted into the Techstars Workforce Development Accelerator this year, which provides seed funding, mentorship, access to a global investor network and participation in a three-month intensive program focused on scaling solutions.
“We’re growing every day,” said Simmerman. “While we’re laser-focused on helping hospitality businesses reduce turnover and improve applicant outcomes, we’re also launching something big in June: the first-ever applicant tracking system built around conversational interviews designed specifically for hospitality. This is our space, and we’re here to stay.”
Kelly Hite is the associate news editor for Biz New Orleans, responsible for delivering daily business news on BizNewOrleans.com, focusing on developments that impact the greater New Orleans area and southeast Louisiana. She may be reached via email at KellyH@BizNewOrleans.com.
